Cat Eye
by JedediahForeverMD
Summary: I'm baaack! :D AU, sneezefic. Anneliese Jewett meets Harry Potter outside of Ollivander's, and that basically starts it all off. Mainly because of a fact that no one really seems to pay attention to. Let's just say Hagrid won't be shaking Annie's hand anytime soon. And...when the two sit together on the train to Hogwarts, a lost toad means true love for our Animalia.


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (USA hardcover edition); p. 81, paragraph 6

"_Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at – an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl."_

* * *

Harry stood outside the door to Ollivander's, Hagrid having just gone off to Eeylops Owl Emporium to purchase Harry a birthday present. He registered vaguely that it was his very first birthday present, and was about to enter the store when he heard a voice:

"Well, are you going in or not?"

Harry spun round. A girl whom he had not noticed until that point stood right behind him. She was slightly taller than he was. Her appearance was startling: her hair was a mix of light blonde, chocolate brown, and here and there were spots of a darker brown. And, Harry noted with a jolt, her eyes were a very bright shade of orange. Like a cat's, he observed.

"Wow, you're Harry Potter, aren't you?" the girl said. She held her hand out. "Anneliese Jewett. Call me Annie."

Harry shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"Well, come on then, Harry," Annie said, reaching past him and holding the door open for him. "The most important moment in a young witch or wizard's life. Go on."

Harry stepped inside. The store was filled with shelves of long, thin boxes. Annie strode gracefully past him and lightly tapped a bell on the counter.

"He's only just opened, so it might be a few moments." Annie leaned casually back against the counter and asked, "So what House do you think you'll be in?"

"I've just been asked that," Harry said. "By a rather rude boy, in Madam Malkin's. Have you seen him? White-blond hair?"

Annie's face grew dark. "Yes, I've seen him. Trust me, Harry, when I say, you do not want to go and cross a Malfoy this early in your career."

"A what?"

"A Malfoy. That's the boy's surname. Not that I want to go spreading rumours, but the Malfoys were in pretty close to Lord Voldemort when he was in power."

Harry stared. Annie was the first-ever person in the Wizarding world that had said Voldemort's name out loud without flinching or squawking or something.

"What?" Annie said, confused.

"You said his name."

"So?" Annie shrugged. "It's not like I'm afraid of him. I'm just rather very angry with him. You see, Harry, we've got a lot in common: He killed my parents too."

Harry's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Annie laughed. "My parents were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They worked for our government, the Ministry of Magic. You'll find out more about that when we get to school. Well, anyway, they were just leaving their jobs at the Ministry – they worked in the Animagus department – when Voldemort just popped out from nowhere, did them right there in the street, and vanished."

Harry was flabbergasted. "Where were you?"

"Home. When the Ministry finished freaking out over my parents, they remembered that little Anneliese was still at home, so they sent someone looking for me. I was put in an orphanage, but I hated it there, so I ran. I've been off on my own ever since."

"I'm really sorry," Harry said honestly. "I know this is sort of stupid, but is there anything I can do?"

"No, but that's really sweet of you, Harry." Annie smiled at him, and Harry felt like a hot, warm summer sun had just unleashed its rays all over him.

Then he remembered his question: "What's an Animagus?"

Annie smiled cleverly. "Ah, Harry, that's just what I wanted you to ask!" She came closer to him and beckoned him to a couple of chairs near the door. As they sat, she began to explain.

"There are three types of really cool special powers that wizards or witches can have. Well, there are more than three, but these are the coolest in my opinion. Animagus, Metamorphmagus, or Animalius. Metamorphs are born, so you can't learn it, but they are super amazing; they can change their entire body appearance at will if they wanted. Animagi and Animalii are quite similar, but there's a difference: Animagi have to learn their ability, but Animalii are born with it. They can change into an animal at will."

Annie grinned. "I'm an Animalia. My form is a cat."

Harry gaped. "Wow! Can you show me?"

"Sure." One second Annie was smiling at him, and the next second a lovely tabby was leaping up onto his lap.

"Wicked, Annie!" Harry exclaimed, quite impressed. Annie-the-cat jumped off his lap and transformed back into her human self.

"Thanks!" she said. "I still retain some of my cat characteristics when I'm a human. See?" She pointed to her eyes. "Check it out."

Her eyes were a bright mix of many different yellows.

Harry stared, and laughed. "That is incredibly cool."

Annie cocked her head and giggled.

"Hello, children." Ollivander stepped out from behind a shelf. "It looks like you've been having fun."

"Hello, Mr Ollivander, sir." Annie immediately leapt to her feet. "I'm Anneliese Jewett, and this is, well, you probably know."

Ollivander's eyes drifted to Harry's scar. "Yes, I know, indeed."

"Ladies first," Harry said, gesturing to Annie.

After about four wands, three explosions, and one fallen cabinet, Annie had found herself an eleven-inch wand made of pine with a unicorn-hair core. She laid seven Galleons on the counter and said, "Thank you very much, Mr Ollivander."

"You're quite welcome, my dear. Ah, Hagrid! It's been much too long."

Harry and Annie faced the window. Hagrid was standing there, holding a magnificent snowy owl in a metal cage.

"Happy birthday, Harry!" he called happily.

"Wow!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh, she's beautiful, Harry," Annie breathed. "That's a fine friend you have."

"Come and meet him, he's the gamekeeper at Hogwarts," Harry said.

Harry opened the door and said to Hagrid, "Thanks very much for the owl, Hagrid. This is my new friend, Annie…"

But Harry didn't get to finish. Hagrid swung a beefy arm and caught Harry in the chest, and he was sent flying into the street. Harry was dazed for a moment, and was going to ask Hagrid very indignantly why he had hit him, but after a few seconds, he got his answer:

_______"HHHAAAAAARRREEEESSSSHHOOOO!"_

Harry heard Annie shriek, and then an enormous crashing sound.

He propelled himself to his feet and ran back inside Ollivander's. The entire front inside of the shop was covered in paper and boxes. Ollivander had flattened himself onto the far wall, and Annie had been thrown against the opposite wall.

"Annie!" Harry dashed over to her. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Annie replied shakily, slowly getting to her feet. When she faced Hagrid, she paled a little.

"Are you going to be sick?" Harry asked quickly.

"N-no," Annie stammered. She wobbled a little; Harry steadied her.

Ollivander finally broke the tension. "Gesundheit, Hagrid. If you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you stepped out?"

"Yeah," Hagrid said, clearly surprised. "Er, sorry, sir."

Hagrid stumbled out of the shop. Ollivander waved his wand, and in a matter of seconds, the shop looked exactly as it did before.

Harry guided Annie out of the shop and to a chair outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. "I have no idea what all that was about," Harry said. "I don't understand what could have made him sneeze like that."

"I heard him say it, Harry," Annie said quietly, standing up. "Remember, when he said he'd get your owl? Anyway, I have to go to Gringotts. See you on the train."

Annie transformed back into a cat and dashed off, clearly wanting to get as far away from Hagrid as possible.

Harry stood, pondering her statement, and then it hit him:

" – _an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze."_


End file.
